"Hey Man Nice Shot" - Filter, 1995 (alternative)

I wish I would've met you;
now it's a little late.
What you could've taught me,
I could've saved some face.
They think that your early ending was all wrong;
for the most part they're right,
but look how they all got strung.

That's why I say, "Hey man, nice shot."
"What a good shot, man."

A man, has gun -
Hey man, have fun.
Nice shot!

Now that the smokes gone,
and the air is all clear:
those who were right there
had a new kind of fear.
You'd fight and you were right -
but, they were just too strong.
They'd stick it in your face
and let you smell what they consider wrong.

That's why I say "Hey man, nice shot."
"...a good shot, man."
That's why I say "Hey man, nice shot."
"...what a good shot, man."

A man, has gun -
Hey man, have fun.

Oh, nice shot man!

Oh, I wish I would've met you.
I wish I would've met you, oh.
I wish I would've met you, oh.
I wish I would've met you,
I'd say, "Nice shot."

In 1993, the City Cleveland brought us Filter, and in 1995 ex Nine Inch Nails guitar player Richard Patrick made his contribution to history in music with the band's first big hit "Hey Man Nice Shot", which has since been played in everything from movies, to cartoons, to video games, to the NHL's Playoff broadcast and Australia's National Rugby League. All in all, that's not a bad way to enter the history books...unless of course, you happen to be the guy in the song.

When "Hey Man Nice Shot" first debuted, it was assumed that the song was a nod to Kurt Cobain, who shot himself in April of 1994. However, the song was actually written about the 1987 public suicide of Pennsylvania state treasurer R. Budd Dwyer. Dwyer was a teacher and a family man. Born in 1939, he graduated from Allegheny College and went on to get his Master's in Education, and was not only a Social Studies teacher, but was also a football coach at Cambridge Springs High School. Finally, Dwyer was given an opportunity to visit Poland as a Community Ambassador, where he truly experienced the differences between American and Communist government systems. It was this experience that compelled him to be a part of the democratic process. In 1965, Dwyer won a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, and in 1970 he joined the Senate. From 1980-1987, Dwyer finished out his political career as Pennsylvania State Treasurer. Dwyer's life and career would be cut short in 1987, following a hard lesson in honesty and politics.

During Dwyer's tenure as Pennsylvania State Treasurer, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania accidentally overpaid millions of dollars in FICA taxes. In an effort to correct this mistake, the state undertook the soliciting of bids from accounting firms to determine the amount of refunds the employees would receive. It was Dwyer's job to assist the state in awarding a contract to a company that would order the books. One particular accounting firm out of California, Computer Technology Associates, won the bid with the help of company founder and Harrisburg native John Torquato Jr, who despite his company's base on the West Coast, remained largely influential in the Midwest and used Pennsylvania area connections and bribery to secure the $4.6 million contract for his company. Soon after the contract was awarded, Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh received an anonymous tip that the award was not entirely on the up-and-up, and a full-scale investigation was launched.

During the investigation, the US Attorney's Office discovered that R. Budd Dwyer had used his position and office to steer the state to awarding Computer Technology Associates with the accounting contract and had refused to invite other bids. He was indicted for the receipt of $300,000 in kickbacks from said company for his favors. Later John Torquato Jr., who was also indicted in the same event, would turn state's evidence and testify against Dwyer and others involved in the fiasco. If Dwyer was willing to resign his office, cooperate with the government investigation, and serve a maximum of five years in prison, the Prosecution would offer him a single charge of bribe receiving. He refused. As a result, the government crippled Dwyer's defense with the help of the testimony of unindicted involved persons. In addition to the bribe receiving, Dwyer faced a myriad of other charges, including: 5 counts of mail fraud, 4 counts of interstate transportation in aiding racketeering, and 1 conspiracy to commit bribery. When all was said and done, Dwyer faced a sentence of up to 55 years in prison and $300,000 fine. Thanks to a loophole in PA law, Dwyer was able to keep his job and continue serving in its capacity until his sentence was given by Federal court. Dwyer insisted he had maintained his good nature and that he had been framed and even wrote a letter to President Reagan begging for a Presidential pardon, which he did not receive.

On the day before his sentencing, R. Budd Dwyer called a news conference to update his campaign staff on his status before leaving office. At the meeting, Dwyer handed out envelopes to two of his aides and then acting Treasurer, stating that within each envelope was a set of instructions they were to follow later. He then proceeded to the front of the room where five television cameras and a handful of newspaper and radio reporters and photographers were waiting to document his words for the occasion. As they waited for him to speak, Dwyer reached his hand into a last manilla envelope and pulled out a loaded .357 magnum revolver. The room erupted into a mixture of panic and pleading as those in attendance attempted to persuade him to put the gun down. Dwyer held one hand out defensively and clutched the gun with the other. "Please leave the room if this will...if this will offend you." Dwyer said. As others approached to disarm him he said, "Stay away...this will hurt someone." And with that and with cameras rolling, he placed the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

~ You didn't hear it from me. I got it from:

I Knew Bud Dwyer. I Was At The Trial
Who Was Bud Dwyer?

"The Trooper" - Iron Maiden, 1983 (heavy metal)

Now, just because the song's by Iron Maiden doesn't mean that it's "devil music" or that it has no value. Sure they use lots of grouchy skeletons and lightening bolts in their artwork, but this is heavy metal. The year is 1983, and although metal has been around for a while, it was just starting to take off in the mainstream. While the rest of pop culture was still "feelin' groovy" from the 70's, metal was there to remind us that life wasn't all "incense and peppermints." This is heavy metal...you were expecting flowers and kitty cats?

Iron Maiden is one of those band that throws it up in the face of those who say that metal has no purpose and is just a cacophany of worthless, ear-shattering noise. This ain't your kids' metal...this is metal from back in the day - before computer processors and echo boxes. Everything you hear was done by the person playing it...not some geek sitting at a pc. Maiden has a technically tight, skilled sound without using all kinds of wiz-bangs that are found at the modern heavy metal stage or studio. Besides all that, during the early 80's, Iron Maiden went through a period of enlightenment in history and literature. "The Trooper" is one of those educational songs, though it takes a little digging to get some real understanding because, as is the spirit of music, history is not recited in text book form, but rather poetically.

"The Trooper" is about The Crimean War - faught between Imperialist Russia on one side and France, UK, Sardinia, and the Ottoman Empire on the other side from 1853-1856. The Crimean War is considered to be the first "modern" conflict and introduced technical changes that affected the future course of modern warfare. The war brought and end to an era of Anglo-Russian domination in Europe. It was faught primarily on the Crimean Peninsula, the Balkans, and the Black Sea.

More specifically, "The Trooper" is about a particular battle during the Crimean War - The Battle of Balaclava (October 25, 1854). It was the first of two attempts by the Russians to break the Siege of Sevastopol. The battlefield consisted of 2 valleys oriented in an E-W direction, divided by low hills and ridges, with the terrain consisting of open grassland. The southern plain was held by the British Heavy Brigade (Royal Dragoon Guards and the Scot Greys). The northern valley was positioned with the Light Brigade (4th and 13th Light Dragoons, 17th Lancers, and 8th and 11th Hussars) under the command of Major-General Lord Cardigan. The overall commander was Lord Lucan. The battle started with a successful Russian attack on Ottoman positions. This led to the Russians breaking through into the valley of Balaclava, where British forces were encamped. The port of Balaklava, a short distance to the south, was the site of a key British supply base. The Russian advance was intended to disrupt the British base and attack British positions near Sevastopol from the rear. An initial Russian advance south of the southern line of hills was repulsed by the British. A strong attacking force of Russian cavalry emerged over the ridgeline, and split into two portions. One of these columns drove south towards the town of Balaklava itself, threatening the supply of the whole British army. That drive was repulsed by the steady musketry of the 93rd Highland Regiment, which had been formed into a lone line of two rows by its gallant commander, Sir Colin Campbell - the action became known in history as "The Thin Red Line".

The Battle of Balaclava will forever go down in history as the insanely disastrous "Charge of the Light Brigade". Overall commander Lucan received an immediate order from Army commander Lord Raglan: "Lord Raglan wishes the cavalry to advance rapidly to the front, follow the enemy, and try to prevent the enemy carrying away the guns. Horse artillery may accompany. French cavalry is on your left. Immediate." In response to the order, Cardigan led 673 cavalry men (back then, "cavalry" was still soldiers on horses) straight into the valley between the Fedyukhin Heights and the Causeway Heights. The opposing Russian forces were commanded by Pavel Liprandi and included approximately 20 battallions of infantry supported by over fifty artillery pieces. These forces were deployed on both sides and at the opposite end of the valley. It appears that the order was understood by Cardigan to refer to the mass of Russian guns in a redoubt* at the end of the valley, around a mile away, when Raglan had in fact been referring to a set of redoubts on the reverse slope of the hill forming the left side of the valley (from the point of view of the cavalry)!! Although these latter redoubts were clearly visible from Raglan's vantage point, they were hidden from the view of the Light Brigade on the floor of the valley. The Brigade set off down the valley. Captain Louis Nolan was seen to rush across the front, possibly in an attempt to stop them, but was killed by an artillery shell. The Light Brigade was able to engage the Russian forces at the end of the valley and force them back from the redoubt, but suffered heavy casualties and was soon forced to retire. Lucan failed to provide any support for Cardigan, and it is speculated that he was motivated by enmity for his brother-in-law. The brigade was not completely destroyed, but did suffer terribly, with 118 men killed, 127 wounded. After regrouping, only 195 men were still with horses. The Russian commanders initially believed that the British soldiers were drunk for trying to pull a stunt like that!!

"The Trooper" is sort of a musical rendition of the great poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. In the poem, which itself is specifically about this incident, the area between the Causeway Heights and Fedyukhin Valley (through which the Light Brigade charged) was dubbed "The Valley of Death" by Tennyson.

"The Trooper" doesn't just borrow some of the poetic imagery of the Tennyson poem. The unmistakable opening riff was specifically written to sound like the thundering of galloping horses, especially in the bass (the song was actually written by Maiden bass player Steve Harris). When read correctly, Tennyson's poem also beats out the same galloping rhythm (although maybe not with the same speed. lol)

And for the record, when Iron Maiden performs this song, they don't just burst into it. Lead singer Bruce Dickenson, wearing an authentic-looking red cavalry jacket, will read a few lines from Tennyson's poem.

And there ya have it! A great deal of world history is preserved in music (with or without words). I bet you never thought that heavy metal could teach us anything.

If you're still worried about those grouchy skeletons, the artwork that donned the cover of "The Trooper" as a single forms part of a Loyalist mural in the city of Derry in Northern Ireland.


*A "redoubt" is a military term for a kind of fort or fort system that uses and enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort. It usually relies on earthworks, stone, or brick and is meant to protect soldiers outside the main line of defense.

"The Trooper" - Iron Maiden, 1983

(compiled from various sources around our wonderful world wide web)